Minutes of Senate Steering Committee
November 9, 2017, 3:30-4:45
Samford 206

Present:   Dan Svyantek (Chair), Donald Mulvaney (Secretary), James Goldstein (Immediate-Past Chair), Michael Baginski (Chair-Elect), Beverly Marshal (Secretary-Elect), Tim Boosinger (Provost), Michael Tillson, Lisa Kensler, Jared Russell

Absent: Lucretia Tripp

The meeting was called to order by Chairman Svyantek at 3:30 pm and an agenda with attachments was provided. Agenda as prepared was corrected for the November 9 date.

The Steering minutes from October 26, 2017 were approved.

An email sent by Drew Clark regarding extractions from the COACHE Survey pertaining to faculty views on shared governance was acknowledged and discussed.  Positive observations were offered about an improved Faculty Governance culture compared to past. Drew will meet with steering and senate in February. Steering was encouraged to examine and generate relevant questions for Drew and how the Senate leadership may address areas.  Senate leadership will be launching a "What's On Your Mind" process whereby senators are encouraged to submit ideas for discussion topics, offer shared concerns, make suggestions and/or levy requests from Senate leadership.  Additional discussion included ideas toward elevating the value and desire by faculty to be involved in shared governance as senators or committee members.

Chairman Svyantek shared a few goal setting remarks made by President Leath at the Board of Trustee meetings indicative of increasing graduate students as a piece toward emphasizing research. Discussion ensued about implication of these directions and possibility of a task force to examine.

Comments about the after-hours parking survey will be delayed until receiving input from Parking.  A partial tentative list of information and action items for 2018 was mentioned.

The agenda for the Senate meeting for 11/14/2017 was discussed and unanimously approved for publication on the web site. The agenda includes: remarks from Chairman Svyantek; while no action items for voting or information items will be on the agenda, brief update on the After Hours faculty Parking will be made.

The meeting was adjourned at 4:15 PM.

Prepared by:  D. Mulvaney, Secretary, AU Senate